ariich’s new album roulette, v. totally mad (The End Again: post-roulette Train)

[jingle.boy]

Chad sucks at sucking up.

I suck down... which is apparently the direction of my ranking too!  6 more to come, and only 1 spot left to drop.  Yeah, I'm as fucked as Britons are come March 30th.   

[ariich]

Yeah, I'm as fucked as Britons are come March 30th.   

[Nekov]

 

[ariich]

I see you're holding true about leaving my results last.

I'd forgotten about that. Yours is one of the albums it's taking a bit longer to decide on a rating for.

I'll hopefully be able to post the final two batches of results tomorrow, if I can make some decisions!

[King Postwhore]

I'd harass you but that would be a bad idea.

[Train of Naught]

First impression: I dig it. This type of music needs solid hooks for me, and I'm not 100% sure from first listen, but there are great moments and more may come out on repeat listens.

Final opinion: I can definitely see the BTBAM similarity you mentioned. Kind of an interesting blend of the theatricality present in Coma/Automata with the schizophrenic heaviness of Alaska/Colors. This sort of technical, intense music does need certain hooks for me, otherwise I tend to find it too much. Thankfully this does enough, both in terms of the occasional strong melodies, but also other sections where the vocals might be heavy but the music is melodic and entertaining enough. Good variety across the album that keeps it exciting, and plenty of strong riffs and solid performances. It's far from perfect, but clearly this band is very new and this is an excellent debut.

Yeah, without the hooks (great example being the chorus in See the Sun and numerous moments throughout Nihil) it probably would fall flat for me too, despite the interesting blend of jazzy swingy stuff on top of the metal. Highly agree on the bold part

Dang, I wanna listen to The World is Quiet Here now

Don't

Do

[ariich]

Yeah the See the Sun really stood out, even on first listen. Some pretty epic stuff there.

[Luoto]

I was pretty confident, considering it was probably the only all-time top 5 album of mine you hadn't heard yet.

Interesting that RYM defines them as "atmospheric sludge metal", which is a phrase I hadn't read or heard before but appears to basically mean post-metal with vocals. It's got its post-metal elements for sure, but there's also quite a lot in common with really good melodic death metal bands such as Amorphis and Insomnium.

Atmospheric sludge used to be kind of synonymous to post-metal when the scene originally got its breakthrough (Neurosis, Isis etc). Those were just the first bands recognized to combine any kind of metal and post-rock; since then there are lot of bands that can be partially considered post-metal, Agalloch and Ghost Brigade being different examples. I would label Ghost Brigade as both doom metal and post-metal.

[LordCost]

After I wrote to you the album ranking with The Great Rain Beatle at the last position I started to learn it better and appreciate it. I'm listening it during this week sometimes. I have always overlooked it comparing to track 2,3 and 4 which are among my favourites Rishloo tracks.
I agree that second half is slightly weaker, but Just A Ride could be my favourite one.

I have had the same experience with Bilateral by Leprous which I haven't considered much comparing it to Forced Entry, but recently I enjoy that song more.

[Crow]

Why not? 

[ariich]

I would label Ghost Brigade as both doom metal and post-metal.

Yeah I can see that, there were moments that reminded me of Swallow the Sun actually.

[Puppies_On_Acid]

Well, I'm way less confident now than I was when I sent my album....

[King Postwhore]

Rich, you should repost the remaining previews. 

[TAC]

 

[ariich]

Round One results, 15 of 18
First three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463026#msg2463026
Second three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463312#msg2463312
Third three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463467#msg2463467
Fourth three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463677#msg2463677

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sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only (2017), submitted by romdrums
First impression: Hmm, the thing with this genre is that the music often sounds good but has little staying power unless there's something a bit different or unique. And I'm not sure this is doing that very much, but we'll see.

Final opinion: This settled pretty well for me in the end. I still don't think it does much that's unique or different, it strikes me as pretty standard post-rock fare to be honest, but a lot of it is very good at doing that. Some sections are just kind of there, but others are really very immersive. Some nice build ups, as one would hope for from post-rock. And the production is nice and adds to the atmosphere and energy. A solid album, albeit not one of the more exciting submissions.
Score: 7.0

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Barock Project – Detachment (2017), submitted by king
First impression: I'm a bit torn on this after one listen. It's pleasant and seems to objectively tick a lot of my boxes, but isn't really exciting me very much.

Final opinion: So this definitely improved a bit on further listens. It's very nicely-done neo-prog, and a lot of the songs are really enjoyable. Some really good melodies, nice variety of moods, and the performances and production are really tight and clear. I think the thing that holds it back is a lack of any real flow from song to song, making what is a pretty long album feel even longer. It feels like it's a just a collection of songs thrown together, many of which are very nice and some of which are fantastic, but each new song could be by a different band, like I'm listening to some sort of prog compilation. The album starts really strongly, but on each listen I've found myself getting a bit disinterested towards the end, and the odd final track doesn't help much in that regard.
Score: 7.0

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Sieges Even – The Art of Navigating By the Stars (2005), submitted by Puppies
First impression: Felt very unconvinced by the first song, but the album picked up a fair bit after that. Lots of warmth.

Final opinion: Bit of a grower this one. It's weird though, the album is really strong when doing its big melodic prog stuff, which in fairness is a lot of the album. But it does go heavier and darker from time to time, and I don't know if it's just the production or what but it sounds really weak to me. Which is why on first listen I wasn't a fan of The Weight, those heavy bits just sound so awkward and out of place to me. On further listens, it does have some really nice stuff in it though. And the rest of the album is mostly warm, melodic and emotional prog and it's very nice. To be honest though, from seeing the varied stuff you sent in other roulettes, I was somewhat surprised to get some pretty straightforward Europrog from you.
Score: 7.5

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Ranking so far

1= Parama: Odd Palace - Things To Place On The Moon - 8.5
1= Luoto: Ghost Brigade – IV - One with the Storm - 8.5
3= Katt: Toto - IV - 8.0
3= Lethean: Katatonia - Dead End Kings - 8.0
3= LordCost: Rishloo – Living as Ghosts With Buildings as Teeth - 8.0
3= Train: The World Is Quiet Here – Prologue - 8.0
7= Jingle: Evership – Evership - 7.5
7= Puppies: Sieges Even – The Art of Navigating By the Stars - 7.5
9= Evermind: Mystery – The World Is a Game - 7.0
9= Elite: White Walls – Escape Artist - 7.0
9= Nekov: The Bright Light Social Hour – Space Is Still the Place - 7.0
9= romdrums: sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only - 7.0
9= king: Barock Project – Detachment - 7.0
14= Indiscipline: Gentle Giant – Acquiring The Taste - 6.5
14= Stadler: Cheap Trick – Dream Police - 6.5

[King Postwhore]

Welp.  Looks like I won't make the cut.

[jingle.boy]

[Puppies_On_Acid]

Round One results, 15 of 18

Sieges Even – The Art of Navigating By the Stars (2005), submitted by Puppies
First impression: Felt very unconvinced by the first song, but the album picked up a fair bit after that. Lots of warmth.

Final opinion: Bit of a grower this one. It's weird though, the album is really strong when doing its big melodic prog stuff, which in fairness is a lot of the album. But it does go heavier and darker from time to time, and I don't know if it's just the production or what but it sounds really weak to me. Which is why on first listen I wasn't a fan of The Weight, those heavy bits just sound so awkward and out of place to me. On further listens, it does have some really nice stuff in it though. And the rest of the album is mostly warm, melodic and emotional prog and it's very nice. To be honest though, from seeing the varied stuff you sent in other roulettes, I was somewhat surprised to get some pretty straightforward Europrog from you.
Score: 7.5

Although I'm not exactly upset with the score you gave it, but based on your writeup are you sure you are listening to the correct album?  This album currently sits at number 8 on my all time top 50 albums list and I don't think I would call it straightforward either. Each individual instrument has a very unique sound compared to other prog rock/metal (at least to me). The bass and drums just work so flawlessly together. The guitar is mostly light and airy, yet technical, but also beautiful. I love the little acoustic bits scattered around the album. And Arno's vocals are just magical to me.

If I make it through to the next round I may have to rethink my strategy going forward.

[Stadler]

Round One results, 15 of 18

Sieges Even – The Art of Navigating By the Stars (2005), submitted by Puppies
First impression: Felt very unconvinced by the first song, but the album picked up a fair bit after that. Lots of warmth.

Final opinion: Bit of a grower this one. It's weird though, the album is really strong when doing its big melodic prog stuff, which in fairness is a lot of the album. But it does go heavier and darker from time to time, and I don't know if it's just the production or what but it sounds really weak to me. Which is why on first listen I wasn't a fan of The Weight, those heavy bits just sound so awkward and out of place to me. On further listens, it does have some really nice stuff in it though. And the rest of the album is mostly warm, melodic and emotional prog and it's very nice. To be honest though, from seeing the varied stuff you sent in other roulettes, I was somewhat surprised to get some pretty straightforward Europrog from you.
Score: 7.5

Although I'm not exactly upset with the score you gave it, but based on your writeup are you sure you are listening to the correct album?  This album currently sits at number 8 on my all time top 50 albums list and I don't think I would call it straightforward either. Each individual instrument has a very unique sound compared to other prog rock/metal (at least to me). The bass and drums just work so flawlessly together. The guitar is mostly light and airy, yet technical, but also beautiful. I love the little acoustic bits scattered around the album. And Arno's vocals are just magical to me.

If I make it through to the next round I may have to rethink my strategy going forward.

One thing I've learned in these roulettes is that what you hear and what someone else hears can be (and often is) completely different.   Not in a bad way, judgmental way, or negative way, but it's like people.  I think Margot Robbie is the second most beautiful woman in the world (wife is first, and I'm not just saying that).   Zac Efron is the gold standard for men.  For the life of me, Scarlett Johanson is like a 6 or 7.   I just don't see it.  Hugh Grant?  4.  Maybe a 5.   I just don't see it.   

I've been sent home from roulettes with Rainbow Rising, Ozzy's Diary of a Madman, and, as far as it looks now, Cheap Trick's Dream Police.   If I had ten albums on a desert island, trust me, they are all there with me.    Dream Police is perhaps a perfect album.   45 minutes of pure pop-rock bliss.   I'm in last place.   (Ariich, there is no passive-aggressive bitching there; I totally get it, and totally understand.  I'm just fascinated at the subjectivity of music.)

[Crow]

i've already been thru since 12 of 18 were revealed but i already sent for the next round
and found like, a gaping hole in the banlist for a band that's like 100% right up ariich's alley so sorry y'all i'm winning the next round for sure, even if there's someone left to beat me in this round 

[ariich]

Although I'm not exactly upset with the score you gave it, but based on your writeup are you sure you are listening to the correct album?  This album currently sits at number 8 on my all time top 50 albums list and I don't think I would call it straightforward either. Each individual instrument has a very unique sound compared to other prog rock/metal (at least to me). The bass and drums just work so flawlessly together. The guitar is mostly light and airy, yet technical, but also beautiful. I love the little acoustic bits scattered around the album. And Arno's vocals are just magical to me.

The vocals are definitely one of the strengths of the album, and yeah I like the airy guitar sound that's present on most of the album. Like I said, tt was the heavy bits that didn't work for me so much.

But yeah like Stadler says, it's interesting that everyone hears things differently. It's a very nice album but it definitely doesn't strike me as unique in the world of prog. That wasn't a criticism by the way, more just an observation.

(Ariich, there is no passive-aggressive bitching there; I totally get it, and totally understand.  I'm just fascinated at the subjectivity of music.)

Absolutely, as am I and I never took any of your comments as a complaint. I also think it's interesting in the context of roulettes which can be played in different ways, either just sending stuff that you really like, or focusing on stuff that you specifically think the roulette runner will like. In theory the latter is better, but 1. it's difficult with someone like me whose tastes are pretty random and inconsistent, and 2. it can potentially lead to trying to be too safe and not actually doing that well after all.

I'm honestly glad that between this roulette and my previous one you sent me oldie goldies, as it's opened my ears to classic music that for whatever reason I'd not listened to before. Rainbow was an absolutely fantastic submission and I now regularly listen to two of their albums.

[TAC]

 

[Sacul]

[ariich]

Just waiting for Luke to post popcorn before I put the last set of results up.

[Crow]

[Elite]

[twosuitsluke]

Just waiting for Luke to post popcorn before I put the last set of results up.

corn corn corn corn corn

[Stadler]

Absolutely, as am I and I never took any of your comments as a complaint. I also think it's interesting in the context of roulettes which can be played in different ways, either just sending stuff that you really like, or focusing on stuff that you specifically think the roulette runner will like. In theory the latter is better, but 1. it's difficult with someone like me whose tastes are pretty random and inconsistent, and 2. it can potentially lead to trying to be too safe and not actually doing that well after all.

I'm honestly glad that between this roulette and my previous one you sent me oldie goldies, as it's opened my ears to classic music that for whatever reason I'd not listened to before. Rainbow was an absolutely fantastic submission and I now regularly listen to two of their albums.

Well for me, I didn't see a lot of difference in result either way, so while I see the difference in strategy, I didn't see the difference in outcome.  So what I try to do now is take an element of the song/album/artist I think the host likes and find that in one of the bands I like, and send it on.   I'm in Jingle's roulette, and I feel like I have a very good idea of what might work with him, but I honestly have very little that's in my wheel house that fits that bill (and that he hasn't heard 1000 times already).    I think it would be inauthentic to send a band I don't listen to only to pander to a score, so I send what I can.  And if I get to the last round and I'm in last place, I send Kiss as my little personal rebellion.  HAHAHA. 

[Lethean]

You're not in last place in my roulette - yay.

[ariich]

Well now, this was not the plan, although it was always a possibility...


Round One, final results
First three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463026#msg2463026
Second three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463312#msg2463312
Third three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463467#msg2463467
Fourth three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463677#msg2463677
Fifth three results here: https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=52779.msg2463871#msg2463871

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The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots (2002), submitted by Sacul
First impression: Nice chill vibe. Felt slightly background music at times and some moments were a little repetitive, but I liked it overall.

Final opinion: Cool album. Pretty chill but quite quirky too, in a fun way. This album also highlights the importance for me to listen to each album on different contexts. First listen of this one was on my speakers at home, but it came to life more when listening on earphones. I don't even mind the more compressed production on Spotify, feels like it fits the overall vibe quite well and it's generally pretty immersive. I still think it's a bit repetitive and backgroundy at times, so I don't *love* it, but I definitely like it and it's pretty different to almost anything else 8 listen to.
Score: 7.5

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Port Noir – Any Way The Wind Carries (2016), submitted by twosuitsluke
First impression: Pretty immediately engaging and powerful, though for some reason I'm not quite sure about its staying power. Will see what I feel after subsequent listens.

Final opinion: I found it really hard to rate this one. Enjoyed it quite a lot on my first listen. Second listen left me fairly cold and meh. Third listen a bit better again. Had to listen a fourth time to make a decision, and upped it from 7 to 7.5. There's lots to like here - it's engaging, moody prog with a lot of groove and nice of use of bass synths. Reminds me occasionally of The Butterfly Effect (though that's probably mainly just the singer). It hinges quite a bit on the vocal lines - melodies and delivery - and how much I like those seems to depend on what I'm in the mood for, even more so than most music. But I've really liked two of my four listens so this feels like the fair score.  Earth and Onyx are probably my favourite songs, thanks to their big melodies.
Score: 7.5

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Lör – In Forgotten Sleep (2017), submitted by TAC
First impression: Seems to me this album should feel messy and disjointed, but for some reason it works really well and is highly enjoyable and pretty rocking for a lot of it.

Final opinion: So yeah in some ways this album is sort of all over the place. But it also somehow works, and I really can't explain why. The epic folk-metal stylings should feel cheesy, but mostly they don't, or at least not too much so. The way it jumps around should feel disjointed, but for some reason it feels surprising and fun instead. Not sure I like it quite as much as my first impression - it's far from perfect and some songs/sections don't really do it for me. I found the wackyness all very enjoyable and surprising on first listen, but the novelty has worn off a little. Still, overall it's really very entertaining, and there are some fantastic moments.
Score: 7.5

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Ranking so far

1= Parama: Odd Palace - Things To Place On The Moon - 8.5
1= Luoto: Ghost Brigade – IV - One with the Storm - 8.5
3= Katt: Toto - IV - 8.0
3= Lethean: Katatonia - Dead End Kings - 8.0
3= LordCost: Rishloo – Living as Ghosts With Buildings as Teeth - 8.0
3= Train: The World Is Quiet Here – Prologue - 8.0
7= Jingle: Evership – Evership - 7.5
7= Puppies: Sieges Even – The Art of Navigating By the Stars - 7.5
7= Sacul: The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - 7.5
7= Luke: Port Noir – Any Way The Wind Carries - 7.5
7= TAC: Lör – In Forgotten Sleep - 7.5
-----------------------------------------
12= Evermind: Mystery – The World Is a Game - 7.0
12= Elite: White Walls – Escape Artist - 7.0
12= Nekov: The Bright Light Social Hour – Space Is Still the Place - 7.0
12= romdrums: sleepmakeswaves – Made of Breath Only - 7.0
12= king: Barock Project – Detachment - 7.0
17= Indiscipline: Gentle Giant – Acquiring The Taste - 6.5
17= Stadler: Cheap Trick – Dream Police - 6.5


I wanted 8 players. Based on round 1 scores I have either 6 or 11.

WHAT DO

[Crow]

Have all the tied people submit a single song as a tiebreaker
Or the tiebreaker is the best songs on the 7.5 albums

Also nice still first 
Luoto. You. Me. The parking lot. At 5.

[ariich]

Luoto. You. Me. The parking lot. At 5.

For... sexy time?

[Stadler]

Keep 'em all, and round two.  Add the two and take the top eight there (the odds of there being ties after two rounds drops precipitously). 

[twosuitsluke]

Wow, totally feel like I just scraped through! Glad you liked it though, I really dig that album and Black from the Ink is probably my favourite tune.

I'd say go with 11 participants and maybe drop the bottom three from the next round?

[King Postwhore]

 


Man, I had a killer second album lined up.